for immediate release harrahs cherokee casino & hotel - Harrah's

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HARRAHS CHEROKEE CASINO & HOTEL OPENS HIGH-ENERGY
ENTERTAINMENT LOUNGE WITH LIVE MUSIC
Expanded Casino Unveiled in Vibrant “Mountain Breeze” Zone
(CHEROKEE, NC, July 12, 2010) -- Celebrating a major opening in its dynamic emergence
as the Southeast’s premier resort destination, the newly transformed Harrah’s Cherokee
Casino & Hotel announces the debut of a new, high-energy Entertainment Lounge and
gaming expansion.
Creating a youthful, energetic mood, the 175-seat Entertainment Lounge is the
focal point in the property's Mountain Breeze zone, one of four themed zones of the
casino, which is soon to be doubled in size as part of its $633 million expansion. The
Mountain Breeze zone is characterized by rich, striking colors, strobe lighting and
pulsating music. More than 700 new games are being added to this zone, with the new
3,000-plus seat Events Center on its upper level set to open Labor Day weekend.
The Entertainment Lounge features live music on Wednesday through Saturday
nights and a variety of stimulating bar top games. Music will include a rotating roster of
entertainment for adults of all ages and interests. With 33 plasma-screen TV’s, a 13-foot
over-the-stage projector, and concert-level audio, guests will also be able to enjoy
sporting events and music videos. The Lounge will be open from 11 am to 2 am daily,
with full bar service including a comprehensive wine list, full complement of premium
liquors, specialty cocktails, and domestic and imported beers by the bottle and on tap.
To accompany the bar offerings, Harrah’s chefs have created an eclectic Entertainment
Lounge menu of tantalizing hors d’oeuvres, light dishes and desserts.
For the balance of July, except July 22, 23 and 30, the Entertainment Lounge will
host live Karaoke every Wednesday night from 8 pm to midnight, Dueling Pianos on
Thursday nights from 8 pm to midnight, and live bands on Fridays and Saturdays from 9
pm to 1:30 am. The Ultimate Elvis Competition will take over the Entertainment Lounge
on July 22 and 23. The Ultimate Elvis finals will take place in the Ballroom on July 24 at
7:30 pm. On Friday, July 30, Terry Lee and the GT’s will perform in the Lounge from 10
pm to 1:30 am.
“With the opening of our Entertainment Lounge and the expansion of the casino,
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel is entering an important phase of its transformation
into a major resort destination” commented Darold Londo, Senior Vice President and
General Manager. “The variety of performers scheduled to appear will give our guests
reason to return again and again.”

When the transformation is complete, guests at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino &
Hotel will pass through four distinct zones, each of which evokes a different theme and
mood through lighting, music, signage and other amenities. The zones will be identified
as “Mountain Breeze”, where the Entertainment Lounge and Events Center are located,
“Woodland Moon” where the Rotunda will take shape, “River Valley”, an elegant zone for
VIP players and Asian gaming, and “Earth Water” for those who prefer a more traditional
casino setting.
The expansion of Harrah’s Cherokee is currently the largest hospitality expansion
project underway in the Southeast and one of the largest in the U.S., offering the
greatest number of hotel accommodations in the Carolinas. Upon completion in 2012,
the 56-acre property will have added a third hotel tower incorporating luxury
accommodations and high-end suites, a 3,000-plus seat events center, entertainment
and VIP lounges, 18,000-square-foot spa, all new state-of-the-art digital poker room,
Asian gaming room, a variety of new restaurants (Paula Deen’s Kitchen, Ruth’s Chris
and Brio), and new retail outlets, as well as new hotel and casino parking garages.
Harrah’s Cherokee is also renovating its current casino facilities and doubling the size of
its casino floor to 195,000 square feet while increasing video and table game capacity.
Opened in 2009 and owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokees is nearby
Sequoyah National Golf Club, an 18-hole, par 72 championship course designed by golf
architect Robert Trent Jones II and Native American golf pro Notah Begay III, with
privileged access for Harrah’s Casino & Hotel guests.
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel is an enterprise of the Eastern Band of the
Cherokee Nation, located 50 miles west of Asheville at the entrance to the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino is open 24 hours a day to guests
21 years of age or older. For more information about Harrah’s Cherokee, please call
(828) 497-7777 or visit our website at www.harrahscherokee.com.
For further information, contact:
# # #
Joan Bloom/Joan Brower/Trista Choksi
The Dilenschneider Group
200 Park Avenue, MetLife Building, 26 th Floor, New York, NY 10166
Tel. + (212) 922-0900; Fax + (212) 922-0971
E-mail: jbloom@dgi-nyc.com
jbrower@dgi-nyc.com
tchoksi@dgi-nyc.com
Ahinawake Littledave
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel
777 Casino Drive, Cherokee, NC 28719
Tel. + (828) 497-8815; Fax + (828) 497-7914
E-mail: alittledav@cherokee.harrahs.com